Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

Colin Toal still bookies favourite for the big job anyone? 

Not only was that one of the worst 20 squads threw together, it  was one of the worst tactical displays.    And in Antrim that is saying something

[Saffsof82]

Don't know how you can say that. With a man sent off half way through the first half all tactical plans surely went out the window. Put to the sword by a top class Donegal team.

[ck]

Don't know how you can say that. With a man sent off half way through the first half all tactical plans surely went out the window. Put to the sword by a top class Donegal team.

There was no tactical plan before the lad got sent off or after it. No plans around kickouts. No attacking structure and wide open in defence. It was a complete mess.
Even without any tactical nouce, surely you can put a team together who fight for one another? There wasn't an ounce of that either I'm afraid.

The only saving grace is that Fermanagh were annihilated tonight too so that gives some hope for Saturday.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

I suppose the post bigging him up yesterday has left him open here but the suggestion that this lies at management's door is unfair I think.

Players on this team have largely been taking similar pastings in county underage football right the way up. Why would it be any different at U20? Why when they get to senior do we expect managers to get a tune out of them?

We've spoken at length as to why we have an endless conveyer belt of teams who are miles away from the standard and it's not individuals at fault.

[Christmas Lights]

Look,  it is what it is.  When Donegal play Tyrone it will be a tight competitive match,  when Antrim play Fermanagh,  you would expect it will be a tight competitive match, just at different levels.  In these competitions you aim to compete and win matches against teams you are on an even enough keel with and hope you give a good enough account of yourself against the Derry's, Tyrone's and Donegal's.  Thats all you can hope for.  These drubbings happen when you have 2 teams at completely different ends of the scales, Antrim seniors are staring down the barrell of a tanking against Armagh as well.  The deeper rooted issues are well established & have been discussed at length in here but until the thing is really built from the bottom up, there simply is no quick fix & the gap between the top and bottom counties will continue to only widen.     

[The_Saffron_serpent69]

Colin Toal still bookies favourite for the big job anyone? 

Not only was that one of the worst 20 squads threw together, it  was one of the worst tactical displays.    And in Antrim that is saying something

I agree yesterdays performance was far from brilliant but I feel it is abysmal and honestly quite rich labelling these young saffs as the worst 20s team through together when I fail to recall an Antrim developmental team compete at a high level since the minors in 2017 when they reaped the rewards down in ballybofey. That Donegal team were a well oiled machine yesterday and it was always going to be a tough match for the saffs never mind going a man down! Although I digress as I do agree that questions need to be asked at the heads of the table as to how and what they will do to try close this gap of standards between the counties of Ulster! 

[Hectic]

Was it not just a couple of years ago Donegal beat us on penalties in the same competition?

[Gaels1789]

Few men on this very quick to throw a team under the bus, look the got a good trimming by a team who could win Ulster.

That's just where Antrim football is at now, if they win on Saturday a few on here soon change their tone on the whole thing

[Spike]

Let's start by getting rid of the quick fix solutions and starting by investing in our youth for once.

Otherwise we have a long and repetitive road of mauling ahead of us

[SlemishSoldier31]

Let's start by getting rid of the quick fix solutions and starting by investing in our youth for once.

Otherwise we have a long and repetitive road of mauling ahead of us

Quick fix number one, get rid of hurling. No other county in Ulster tries to compete as a dual county at a high level it's not possible to balance both and that is proven with Antrim.

The whole north of Antrim don't know what a football looks like that takes away almost half the selection pool of kids at a young age to play football.

There are no other counties in Ulster who take hurling seriously so it has to go, if you want to play hurling move down south or just accept you will be playing at a poor standard in Antrim.

Regards,
SS

[imtommygunn]

What does getting rid of the quick fix solutions mean? Getting rid of the senior manager and spending very little money on a senior manager / senior team ? What is the balance here?

(I don't think the last post merits much attention...)

[EOC1923]

Few men on this very quick to throw a team under the bus, look the got a good trimming by a team who could win Ulster.

That's just where Antrim football is at now, if they win on Saturday a few on here soon change their tone on the whole thing

Scoring 2 points in 65mins and losing by 30 odd points is not a trimming it is a complete massacre. I wouldn't be sore on the coaches of this team, what do people expect they have only taken these players on a couple of months ago. Beating Fermanagh might help the optics a bit on Saturday and I hope they do but really how can we continue on this same road we are trudging along any longer. At this stage Ulster or Croke Park need to divide the U17 and 20 Into A and B sections and try and let the lesser teams develop a bit. What good did last night do any single player on that pitch from either team?
 

[imtommygunn]

Few men on this very quick to throw a team under the bus, look the got a good trimming by a team who could win Ulster.

That's just where Antrim football is at now, if they win on Saturday a few on here soon change their tone on the whole thing

Scoring 2 points in 65mins and losing by 30 odd points is not a trimming it is a complete massacre. I wouldn't be sore on the coaches of this team, what do people expect they have only taken these players on a couple of months ago. Beating Fermanagh might help the optics a bit on Saturday and I hope they do but really how can we continue on this same road we are trudging along any longer. At this stage Ulster or Croke Park need to divide the U17 and 20 Into A and B sections and try and let the lesser teams develop a bit. What good did last night do any single player on that pitch from either team?
 

Agree with this. Digs at manager no good to anyone - there are years before this that lead to this.

[Christmas Lights]

Few men on this very quick to throw a team under the bus, look the got a good trimming by a team who could win Ulster.

That's just where Antrim football is at now, if they win on Saturday a few on here soon change their tone on the whole thing

Scoring 2 points in 65mins and losing by 30 odd points is not a trimming it is a complete massacre. I wouldn't be sore on the coaches of this team, what do people expect they have only taken these players on a couple of months ago. Beating Fermanagh might help the optics a bit on Saturday and I hope they do but really how can we continue on this same road we are trudging along any longer. At this stage Ulster or Croke Park need to divide the U17 and 20 Into A and B sections and try and let the lesser teams develop a bit. What good did last night do any single player on that pitch from either team?
 

Correct, there needs to be a A and B competition at U17 & U20 level.  Antrim, Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone got nothing out of those games last night, all it does it completely demoralise the players, coaches and supporting casts of those that took the trimming whilst the team that dished out the trimming really gained nothing but fulfilling a fixture and maybe giving fringe players a run out for a while.  At any sport,  you have to compete at your level, playing way below it or way above it does nothing for progression. 

[Pub Bore]

Let's start by getting rid of the quick fix solutions and starting by investing in our youth for once.

Otherwise we have a long and repetitive road of mauling ahead of us

Quick fix number one, get rid of hurling. No other county in Ulster tries to compete as a dual county at a high level it's not possible to balance both and that is proven with Antrim.

The whole north of Antrim don't know what a football looks like that takes away almost half the selection pool of kids at a young age to play football.

There are no other counties in Ulster who take hurling seriously so it has to go, if you want to play hurling move down south or just accept you will be playing at a poor standard in Antrim.

Regards,
SS

You need to lie down in a darkened room for a while.